The Graduate Written Thesis: Start Early, Seek Support
The graduate written thesis—an accompaniment to the thesis body of work and a requirement for all RISD graduate students—is a highlight of the graduate experience. It’s also a complex challenge, requiring intensive research, rigorous thought, sharp articulation, and considered book design. RISD offers a wide range of support for the written thesis, which we encourage you to draw from liberally and early, starting in your very first semester.
Master’s Written Thesis Handbook
The Master’s Written Thesis Handbook, by long-time Graduate Studies faculty Anne West, is an invaluable guide to both the spirit and the logistics of the thesis.
Departmental Guidelines
Each graduate department has a different philosophy and set of expectations around the written thesis. You will receive a set of guidelines outlining length, content, and other requirements from your Graduate Program Director.
Thesis Committees
You will select or be assigned a thesis committee in the fall semester of your final year. These experts in your studio discipline and/or research interests will be active sounding boards throughout your thesis process.
Departmental Written Thesis Courses
Some departments (Digital + Media, Photography, and Graphic Design, for example) offer or require written-thesis courses that support the development of your ideas and expression.
Graduate Studies Written Thesis Courses
Anne West’s thesis-prep, writing-intensive courses invite deep inquiry into inspiration, process, and context. Other writing-intensive courses, such as Debra Balkan’s “Critical Issues in Contemporary Art,” often help generate material for the written thesis.
Fleet Library
The Fleet Library houses a vast archive of graduate theses that offer practical models and inspiration. RISD librarians offer individual research consultations to all graduate students. See the thesis libguide to learn more about research support and methods.
Liberal Arts Faculty
RISD’s Liberal Arts professors are a tremendous resource for graduate thesis writers, acting as committee members or informal advisors. You can find their research and teaching interests on the LAS, HPSS, and THAD Faculty web pages.
RISD Center for Arts & Language
A&L offers peer consultation in writing for all RISD students. Grads may make one-hour appointments to review the thesis at any stage; weekly mentoring is available for those who are interested in ongoing support throughout the thesis-writing process.
Peer Feedback
Your peers are often the most constructive thesis readers. See our peer-review guidelines; past grad students have held potluck thesis-writing workshops.
Outside Copy Editors
A&L houses a list of local copy editors available for hire for those seeking comprehensive writing assistance.